Former Chelsea Player wants Blue’s job after retirement

Frank Lampard says he would like to embark on a career in management once he retires, but admits he would only want the Chelsea job.

Lampard, 38, is beginning to contemplate life after his playing career, despite scoring 12 goals in 17 Major League Soccer appearances this season for New York City FC.

Despite ending his Premier League career with rivals Manchester City, Lampard’s bond with Chelsea remains strong — his name is regularly sung by Blues fans at matches and he returned to the club’s training centre at Cobham last season to build up his fitness after an injury-plagued start to his time with New York City.

The former England international says Antonio Conte’s job at Chelsea would be the ultimate goal if he ventures into management, though he accepts that he will have to prove himself in the dugout first.

“There was a period earlier in my career where I really fancied it, then I thought I don’t fancy the managerial thing,” Lampard told Sky Sports. “Now, I’m back onto it. The problem is I’ve got to get my badges and the hard thing for me is to have time to do it.

“As soon as I finish playing I’d like to take it up and maybe be a manager. It’s hard, though, because I only want the Chelsea job. As a Chelsea man or not, the job is one of the pinnacles of football, they are one of the top clubs in the world now. And I’m a Chelsea man.

“It might be a different route for me and might take a while but the dream would be to manage Chelsea one day. If I was good enough, if they wanted me and it was the right time.”

Lampard made 648 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions over a 13-year spell at Stamford Bridge, winning 11 major trophies and scoring 211 goals. He eclipsed Bobby Tambling as the club’s all-time top goal scorer in May 2013.